


Wise

by HannaM



Category: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Psychological Trauma, Rebuilding, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-22
Updated: 2013-11-22
Packaged: 2018-01-02 08:56:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1054882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaM/pseuds/HannaM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zelda awakens to a new world. Fortunately, she doesn't have to face it alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JackOfNone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackOfNone/gifts).



She wakes in fear. Her eyes dart back and forth, looking for something, someone familiar. There is only the young man in green, kneeling before her, evidently injured badly.  
  
"Oh," Zelda says softly, and reaches for him. He stands, with difficulty, and manages a smile for her.  
  
Her mind works quickly over the last that she can remember- her brother, standing over her, shouting. "Is my brother dead?" she asks, already suspecting the answer.  
  
"A long long time ago," the young man replies. "I don't know how long."  
  
"You saved Hyrule," she says aloud, knowing suddenly it is true, "and you are a real hero. Otherwise you could not have broken the spell."  
  
It is with difficulty that she manages to stand, her knees buckling from disuse. He moves to catch her, and Zelda finds herself pressed uncomfortably against the man in green. "Thank you- I'm sorry, what is your name?"  
  
"Link."  
  
"Thank you, Link." She tries to conceal the wave of sadness that comes over her. Her brother may have been corrupted by power, but he was still her brother. And everyone else she has known must be dead as well. Perhaps she should have stayed asleep.  
  
Her rescuer is still bleeding. Zelda wishes she had the gift of healing, that she could repay him better than with words. "We should go to someone who can tend to your wounds," she says.  
  
"I'm fine," he replies. "I would be able to heal myself, but I spent my magic using Thunder on some Daira."  
  
"I don't know what that means," Zelda says honestly, "but I will take your word for it. Another time you must tell me how you broke the spell, but I insist that you see a healer at once. I won't have my rescuer dying."  
  
He leads her out of the dusty chamber where she has slept for hundreds of years, into a palace that looks quite different from the one she remembers. A brown haired girl runs up to them, followed by an old woman.  
  
"Link!" she cries. "You look awful. Let me heal you."  
  
"Zelda," he says, in an exasperated tone. Zelda turns in confusion.  
  
"Welcome back to Hyrule, Princess Zelda," intones the old woman. "I am Impa, nursemaid to Princess Zelda." She gestures to the brown haired girl. "Your brother declared all princesses of his line be named after you, in repentance for his folly."  
  
Zelda's eyes fill with tears. It is all too much, too quickly.  
  
"Impa, that just happened for her," the other Zelda says sharply. "Look, you've upset her."  
  
Link simply looks at her, and holds out his hand. She takes it, and he squeezes it.  
  
…  
  
It is a long time before Zelda leaves North Castle. Impa is insistent that the people rejoice at her awakening, and that she should go among them as a symbol of hope. Link and the other Zelda respect her wishes. Zelda in particular is fearful.  
  
"There's no precedent for this," she explains to her ancestor. "Two princesses in the same time who both have the power of the Triforce of Wisdom- we can't split it between us forever. One of us is going to lose that power, sooner or later."  
  
Zelda wishes it were her. The Triforce has done nothing for her but bring pain and suffering, and she does not know this new Hyrule enough to rule it as the younger Zelda does.  
  
Link continues to venture out into Hyrule, getting into fights with the dwindling number of Ganon's minions. Zelda is glad he can vent his feelings, but her descendant feels very differently.  
  
"He's being careless," Zelda says sharply. "All it takes is one Moblin to spear him from behind when he's low on magic, and he'll be dead, and they'll be able to use his blood to revive the Demon King."  
  
Zelda shakes her head. "He isn't careless. He wants Hyrule to be safe for its citizens once more, just as you do. You're afraid because you care for him. There's no shame in that."  
  
The younger Zelda turns red. "It isn't- not like that. He's like a brother to me."  
  
Zelda is silent.  
  
"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to remind you-"  
  
"I am not made of glass," Zelda snaps. "And Link is not my brother. But I daresay if you ever want him to listen to you, it would mean a great deal more to him to know that you cared rather than trying to frighten the bearer of the Triforce of Courage into listening to you."  
  
The younger Zelda blushes harder. "I'm sorry- I… I think the Triforce of Wisdom may be passing from me."  
  
"No."  
  
"It's true," Zelda holds up her hand, and there is no mark on it. "Look at your hand, Zelda."  
  
Zelda pulls the glove off her hand. There it is- the mark of the Triforce. "It cannot be. You are the true ruler of Hyrule, not I!"  
  
"I can still rule Hyrule without the Triforce," Zelda says gently. "But I may require your guidance."  
  
Zelda nods mutely. She wishes she had been trained with weapons as Link has, so that she too could go and fight monsters. She wishes she had a place.  
  
…  
  
With the courage Link inspired in the people of Hyrule, many now know fighting techniques that had previously been hoarded by wise old men, and many are willing to go out and defend their villages from attackers. The graveyards (and there are many of those) are still haunted by Moa, and caves and forests are still unsafe places to wander unarmed, but the numbers of Ganon's minions have shrunk considerably, and Link's sword is required less often.

  
Link itches with inactivity, Zelda can tell. It is the same pent up frustration she feels when she looks out the window on a land she barely recognizes. Now they are the same- hero and princess, both displaced in time.  
  
"Generations before I was born," she says softly, one night when they are alone, "there was a tale of a Demon King, just as the one you fought. He tried to manifest himself in two different lands outside of Hyrule, and eventually succeeded in one. But, like you, a hero appeared and struck down the Demon King. Then the Triforce of Power passed from him to the King of Hyrule, and our prosperity began."  
  
"I didn't know that."  
  
"It was an ancient tale even when I was young," Zelda smiles. "I am not surprised it has been forgotten."  
  
"If the Demon King was from another land, what brought his followers to Hyrule?" Link asks.  
  
Zelda shook her head. "No, the Demon King was almost certainly from Hyrule. Which suggests that there was yet another hero who struck him down in Hyrule before he was resurrected in foreign lands." She pursed her lips, considering the pattern. "Where did it all begin, I wonder?"  
  
"As long as it ends here, who cares where it began?"    
  
"Will it end here?" Zelda murmurs, doubtfully. "As long as there is greed and hate, there will be those that seek power for the wrong reasons."  
  
"And there will be people who stand up against evil," Link says firmly.  
  
Zelda smiles, thinking of the bloody young man beside her as she woke. At the time, she was confused and frightened. Now it seems a happy memory. "You believe so strongly in good, Link. It's remarkable, considering your life."  
  
"Considering my life," he says, "I think it makes perfect sense."  
  
…  
  
She has nightmares, frequently. Much as Impa and Zelda have tried to protect her, she's seen the corpses of monsters that Link has fought. She can imagine them alive and advancing towards her, armed with all sorts of weaponry. Sometimes it's her brother she sees, holding an axe and snarling, "What if I cut the Triforce out of you, little sister?"  
  
For all the magic in Hyrule, there is naught to cure nightmares. In the mornings, when they take their breakfast together, Zelda sees the dark circles under Link and her descendant's eyes, and knows that they suffer the same malady.  
  
Young Zelda is Queen of Hyrule now, with all the responsibilities that entails. Though Zelda is often summoned for the wisdom the Triforce has bestowed upon her, she is just as frequently summoned for no reason at all.  
  
"Is it comforting?" the Queen will ask, speaking of the Triforce of Wisdom. "To me it was always a comfort. I was so frightened when I had to divide it."  
  
"Sometimes," Zelda replies. In truth, much of the wisdom bestowed upon her seems to be the knowledge of her own lack of knowledge, which is anything but comforting when a seventeen year old monarch is relying upon you for advice.  
  
The Queen tilts her head. "You are so different. More like him than me." They both know of whom she speaks. "I was never brave."  
  
"Of course you were," Zelda says, surprised. "What do you think it took to divide the Triforce into eight pieces and be kept in Ganon's dungeon for so long?"  
  
"I divided the Triforce because I had to. I stayed in Ganon's dungeon because there was no choice. I was not brave."  
  
"But you could have given up, or told him where the pieces of the Triforce were kept," Zelda pointed out. "And you didn't."  
  
The Queen smiles. "You're so kind."  
  
"And you're stubborn," Zelda returned. "Whether or not you believe you could have done more, what you did was more than most people would have done. That makes you brave."  
  
To her surprise, the younger Zelda laughs. "I surrender! I was brave. Too young, perhaps, to fully understand the consequences of my actions, but brave."  
  
"Did they hurt you, in Ganon's dungeons?" Zelda asks softly.  
  
"Sometimes." The Queen's face turns hard. "When they were bored. They never tried to get information out of me."  
  
Zelda recalls her brother, standing over her with his whip, a bevy of other weapons laid out behind him. _"You can make this easy for yourself, or very difficult, little Zelda."_ All she had needed to say were four words. She never said them.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault," the Queen said dryly."The beasts are long dead now."  
  
"But you still dream of it."  
  
"How did you- the Triforce, of course." She shakes her head. "Silly of me."  
  
"I have bad dreams as well. I sometimes wish I did not have to sleep alone."  
  
The younger Zelda smiles. "Well, that can be easily remedied."  
  
…  
  
No one comments on the two Zeldas sharing quarters, at least, not to Zelda's knowledge. It is possible there are servants gossiping, but the servants who have remained with North Castle through all the destruction the Demon King wrought on Hyrule are almost as loyal to their Queen as Link is, and it seems unlikely that they would be bothered by a simple change in living arrangements.  
  
And it was, at first, a simple change in living arrangements.  
  
Until, one night, Zelda wakes, sweating, from an all-too vivid dream of her brother holding a knife to the other Zelda's throat. In that moment, knowing in the dream she was about to tell him everything she knew about the Triforce, she turns to look at Zelda, whose face is white with concern, and impulsively kisses her.  
  
At first the younger Zelda does not move. But when Zelda draws back, afraid she's made a terrible mistake, Zelda reaches for her. "It's all right," she says.  
  
"Truly?"  
  
Zelda smiles. "Truly."  
  
Their noses bump into each other as they lean in for another kiss. Hands move to thighs and shoulders.  
  
"I've been so alone," the other Zelda whispers, stroking Zelda's face.  
  
"Never again."  
  
…  
  
Link is gone from North Castle for a long while. When he returns, it is some time before he admits he was in Old Katsuo, working to make it inhabitable.  
  
"Anyone else could have performed that task!" the Queen cries.  
  
"It would have been a great deal more difficult without the cross Link won in the Hidden Palace," Zelda says gently.  
  
"And I wanted to do it," Link adds, firmly.  
  
The Queen crosses her arms, halfway to a pout. "We missed you."  
  
Link says nothing, only looking at the two of them. Killing the monsters that plague Hyrule is his way of showing his devotion, Zelda realizes. She wants to tell Zelda, but knows there is no use trying to communicate with her when she's in this sort of mood. They finish their dinner in silence. The Queen leaves first, followed by Impa and her private guard.  
  
Zelda and Link follow her, at a distance. "She means no offense," Zelda murmurs.  
  
"She wants me kept here like a pet," Link snaps. "Whatever she means, can't she see I'll never be that?"  
  
"You are a man of action," Zelda says mildly. "You need to be kept occupied."  
  
"How is it that you understand me perfectly when we've only known each other eight months? How does she not after six years?"  
  
"You have to understand she underwent a great trauma in Ganon's care. She shows her love for you by wanting to protect you, even though she knows you can protect yourself."  
  
Link shakes his head. "It doesn't matter if I understand her, so long as she keeps misunderstanding me on purpose. She… means a lot to me, but I swear, sometimes she is so _selfish_."  
  
Zelda's nails dig into her palms. "I'm trying to tell you she's frightened, all the time, but I suppose you wouldn't understand that."  
  
"Do you think I'm never afraid, just because I have the Triforce of Courage?" Link lets out a nervous laugh. "I started going through dungeons when I was just a boy. Darknuts, Octoroks- I never saw them before, and they _terrified_ me. But I kept going. I kept going, because I knew something was wrong, and if I didn't right it, who would? I almost died at Spectacle Rock, but I held on because I knew you were sleeping, and if I wasn't the one to wake you, someone might never come. Sometimes I stayed days in a village, living in a kindly family's home, knowing my strength and magic were full but not wanting to go to the next palace, because my death might be waiting for me there."  
  
"Link-" Zelda reaches for him, and he clasps her hands.  
  
"You've always been different," he breathes. "You've let me go out there, time and time again. Zelda, I can't stop thinking about you. Please-"  
  
Without thinking, she leans forward and kisses him. It is an awkward kiss, but heartfelt. When they break apart, Zelda's heart is pounding.  
  
"This isn't right," she murmurs. "I cannot- I've already-"  
  
"Please," Link says, simply.    
  
They stumble to his chambers, stealing kisses along the way, fumbling with each other's unfamiliar clothing.  Zelda thinks of her other lover once, but quickly forgets as Link accidentally bumps his elbow against her ear, and she bursts out laughing.  
  
To her relief, Link is not embarrassed, but laughs too.  
  
She will worry about the morning when it comes.  
  
…  
  
The Queen is not angry. "My guards told me where you had gone."  
  
Zelda opens her mouth to explain herself, but the other woman shakes her head. "There's no need. I've been a fool."  
  
"I still care for you," Zelda says indignantly. "Very much, in fact."  
  
"But you care for Link as well."  
  
"As do you."  
  
The younger Zelda opens her mouth to protest, then closes it. "I understand if you'd prefer to move to his quarters," she says in a small voice.  
  
"No!" Zelda cries out. "Even if I wanted to, he would not always be there."  
  
"So he won't stay, even for you?"  
  
"It is for us that he fights," Zelda says. "For us that he inspires the people to rebuild."  
  
The Queen's eyes fill with tears. "I know. But… one day they'll be too much for him. One day he won't survive impossible odds. And I don't know what I'll do when that day comes."  
  
Zelda embraces Zelda, then kisses her.  
  
She knows that what Zelda has said is true. And yet, she knows too that there is no other way that Link can live. Zelda loves him despite it. She loves him because of it.  
  
But most importantly, they both love him.  
  
…  
  
When the Queen and Link finally come together, it is not because of Zelda's gentle urgings that they understand each other. They are both angry, and she orders him to obey. Something passes between them then, and Zelda does not see them for the rest of the day. But she thinks she can guess at what followed- the Queen gave orders, and Link took them.  
  
The younger Zelda is flushed when she comes to bed. When prodded, she gives a few quite colorful details of what passed between her and Link. After that, they are not sure what to talk about, and so they brush each others' hair in silence, until Zelda finally says, "We should bring Link here, with us."  
  
"He's leaving tomorrow," the Queen says, a hint of bitterness in her words. "New Katsuo requested aid again. I was so upset- not at them, but at him. He shouldn't have taken it on without consulting me."  
  
"He'll be sore in the morning," Zelda says mildly. "That should satisfy you."  
  
The Queen closes her eyes. "I just pray for his safe return."  
  
"In the unlikely event that he finds himself overpowered, I'm sure he'll simply transform into a fairy and fly away."  
  
The other woman let out an uncharacteristic giggle. "He wouldn't!"  
  
Zelda nods. "He's told me he escaped from quite a few enemies that way-- not to mention making his way through the Valley of Death."  
  
"I suppose I should thank him," the Queen says, thoughtfully.  
  
"For saving your life? Surely you already-"  
  
"No. For bringing you into our lives."  
  
Zelda's face heats. She finds herself, for once, at a loss for words.  
  
…  
  
True to his word, Link sets out early the next day. The Queen is even more distracted than usual, and very much aware of the fact. She insists upon Zelda attending hearings with her and state meetings.  
  
Zelda was born to rule a very different Hyrule. Although she is not untrained in the ways of monarchy, she cannot wrap her head around individuals coming to the Queen to resolve disputes, or asking for aid. She does understand how Zelda manages to resolve them, particularly when they involves, as they often seem to, "the hoarding of magic". It seems there are certain spells that are well known and there are others that are jealously guarded, and the Queen must soon make a ruling on whether the knowledge of all spells should be made publicly available or not.  
  
There are also nonmagical items, such as the Trophy of Ruto, whose ownership is hotly debated. The Queen makes rulings that seem to please at least some of the people, whereas Zelda is sure her own rulings would upset everyone.  
  
And then there are relations with nearby Holodrum and Labrynna, and other countries that wish to treat with Hyrule. These countries have grown prosperous while Hyrule has suffered. Labrynna in particular generously offers money to help rebuild.  
  
"They would do better to send men and women," the Queen says, and her advisors nod thoughtfully. "The population of Labrynna City is nearly equal to that of Hyrule. If there were more of us, there might be less monsters, and certainly our towns would be safer."  
  
Zelda does not say what she is thinking, which is that there's no earthly reason why anyone would want to leave safe, prosperous Labrynna in favor of poor, wild Hyrule.  
  
She thinks sometimes if it were not for Zelda and Link, she might have left herself.  
…  
  
In truth, sometimes she's a little afraid that she'll be torn apart between the neediness of Zelda and the desperate desire of Link. They both want so much from her, more, she thinks, than she can give to just one of them.  
  
There is historical precedent for the three of them-- Zelda remembers quite clearly reading about kings and queens having a consort between them in Hyrulian history. Somewhat to do with the Triforce, perhaps. Of course, none of those trios had involved two parties who were related, albeit distantly, but there was no use feeling strange about that now, so much after the fact. It will not abet the people's confusion, particularly if she or Zelda were to become pregnant, but it comforts Zelda, knowing something like this has happened before and will likely happen again.  
  
It should be easier, now that the two of them had made peace and found a measure of solace in each other as well.  
  
Link never speaks of his nightmares, though Zelda can always tell when he hasn't slept well. She watches him in the courtyard, practicing his swordplay and sees the weariness in his limbs. There is no spell for a good night's sleep.  
  
"Why don't you rest?" she asks, stepping out of the shade.  
  
Link grimaces. "I need to keep in practice. And I don't always sleep well on the road."  
  
"Even in the safe houses of the various lovely women of Hyrule loyal to the crown?"  
  
He laughs, abashed. "Perhaps I told you too much of my travels."  
  
"I'm not jealous," Zelda says mildly. "But I've always found I sleep better with the comfort of others."  
  
Link pauses. "With you and Zelda?"  
  
She nods.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Zelda frowns. "Because I want to. Because she wants to. If you don't want to-"  
  
"It isn't that I don't want to," Link interrupts. "It's that I'm worried she'll see it as a promise I can't keep."  
  
"She let you go last time," Zelda reminds him. "And it's her you think of when you save villagers and beat back monsters off bridges. This is her Hyrule. Haven't you sworn yourself to her already?"  
  
"Yes," he admits. "And I would do it again. I just… I don't want to hurt her."  
  
"You're hurting her by keeping your distance!"  
  
Link turns away from her, lifting his sword again to do a few practice thrusts and jumps. "You love her that much?"  
  
"I love both of you too much to keep on this way," Zelda says firmly.  
  
…  
  
It happens, late one night, when both Zeldas are already undressed and amorously entangled. There comes a knock at the door, and Zelda raises her head. The Queen lets out a whine of protest, but Zelda puts a finger to her lips.  
  
Seizing a robe from a nearby cupboard, Zelda slips to the door and presses her face against the crack, trying to see in the dark.  
  
"Link?"  
  
"Zelda?"  
  
She opens the door, and there he is, rubbing his hands in the cold night air. "Come in."  
  
Behind her, Zelda has made a makeshift nightdress out of a sheet, and is leaning forward curiously. Link drops to one knee. "Your majesty."  
  
"Get up," the Queen says fondly. The light from the fireplace brings out the highlights in her brown hair, and Zelda is momentarily distracted by how lovely she looks.  
  
Link stands, and turns to Zelda as if asking for permission. Zelda smiles and pulls him towards her for a kiss. She hears the Queen hum appreciatively. When they break apart, both turn towards the younger Zelda, who has now cast aside the sheet and is curled naked on the bed, watching them.  
  
It is the Queen's idea to blindfold Link as they undress him, so that he can only guess at which Zelda is stealing a kiss and which is unfastening his breeches. When he is finally nude, Zelda sheds her robe while the Queen leads him to the bed, next to which lies some rope that they have made use of in the past.  
  
Zelda joins Link upon the bed, and leans forward to press her lips against his, letting him feel the softness of her breasts against his chest for a moment before she sits and begins to tease his cock with thumb and forefinger.  
  
Meanwhile, the younger Zelda is making good use of the rope to tie Link's arms firmly to the bed posts, and moving to bind his feet as well. Once he is fastened firmly to the bed, the Queen removes the blindfold. She moves to kiss Zelda's neck, as Link groans and shudders beneath them.  
  
"He'll be spent too soon if you don't stop that," the Queen admonishes Zelda.  
  
"As you wish," Zelda replies, placing her hands on the Queen's breasts instead, to Link's obvious dismay. She takes one nipple into her mouth, sucking and teasing with her tongue while her fingers play a similar game with the other. The Queen whimpers, and wraps her legs around Zelda's hips.  
  
They were in a similar position earlier, and as Zelda's fingers slip from the other woman's breasts to her nether lips, it is apparent that she is very close indeed. Close enough that she gasps as Zelda slowly circles that nub of flesh that led to pleasure, and her hips began to shudder.  
  
Close enough for her to cry out in protest as Zelda moves her hands and mouth away.  
  
"You… you…" she manages, turning pink.  
  
"You'll be spent too soon," Zelda says sweetly, and turns to straddle Link, who lets out a moan of relief as she begins to rub against him.  
  
…  
  
In the morning, Zelda wakes to Zelda's hair in her face, Link's leg wrapped around her leg, and a deep, abiding, satisfaction.  
  
They take turns kissing each other good morning, and Link dresses himself while Zelda and Zelda brush each others' hair.  
  
The Queen goes to take her bath, and Zelda and Link are alone once more.  
  
"Link," Zelda says, after a moment.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The next time you go to rebuild a village, will you take me with you?"  
  
He frowns. "Why?"  
  
"I want to be useful at something. There must be something I can do to help."  
  
"What about Zelda?"  
  
"I'm not risking my life, so she needn't worry on that account. Perhaps she'll even worry less, with me to keep any eye on you."  
  
Link laughs. "I doubt it, but it's worth trying."  
  
…  
  
The Queen is not pleased. "You said you'd never leave!"  
  
"And at the time I meant it," Zelda says, trying to be rational. "It isn't as if I'm endangering myself, and it won't be for long. It's not even today or tomorrow!"  
  
"I need you."  
  
"No, you don't. You're a better ruler than I could ever be. You barely ask my advice anymore," Zelda points out.  
  
"I'll miss you," the Queen says in a small voice.  
  
Zelda squeezes her hand. "I'll miss you too. But I need to do this. I need to find out who I am when I'm not with you."  
  
For a moment, she thinks the Queen is going to forbid her outright. But her head drops, and she shakes her head. "I understand."  
  
…  
  
They encounter a surprising amount of monsters on the way to Saria. Most of them jump out of the forest they have to go through, and ambush them on the path but some are on the bridge, jumping out of the water. Link makes quick work of them, wrapping his arm around Zelda as he casts the Jump spell and stabs downward.  
  
Still, once they are across the bridge the attacks cease. Link sheathes his sword, and beckons Zelda forward. "This really is usually the safest route. Bagu must be trying to get them out of the forest- there was a time when they didn't dare stray onto the main path."  
  
The people of Saria are few but fierce. There's still an undercurrent of dark suspicion about them, and mothers pull their curious children away from Zelda, even after Link explains who she is.  
  
"Does she know Bagu?" the town's mayor wants to know.  
  
Zelda shakes her head, confused.  
  
"She's a princess, Kafei," Link says, exasperated. "Those woods are still full of moblins. I can't take her to meet Bagu."  
  
"I didn't know there was a second princess."  
  
"Where did she come from?"  
  
Zelda hadn't realized that by staying in North Castle, few people knew of her curse and fewer still of her awakening. She begins to tell the tale but quickly realizes that Link can tell the story better than she.  
  
The town listens to Link, the children particularly rapt with attention as he details going from palace to palace, fighting Ganon's minions and other monsters, acquiring weapons and tools like the hammer at Spectacle Rock (which they all know about) or the flute with which he destroyed the River Devil on the eastern continent (which is completely new to them).  
  
He speaks of Lizalfos and Dragon Heads, Ironknuckles and Fotails. He tells of traversing the Valley of Death and the Great Palace, and finally confronting his own shadow. It is a long tale, and the town cheers when he recounts the final thrust that shattered his shadow.  
  
"And then I returned to North Castle, where Princess Zelda was just beginning to awake."  
  
"I told him he had saved Hyrule and was a true hero," Zelda added.  
  
"And I stood there like an idiot," Link finishes.  
  
"You were wounded and tired," Zelda objects.  
  
"I've rescued two princesses and couldn't think of what to say either time," Link says wryly. "Forgive me for being a little embarrassed."  
  
"She told the truth nevertheless," the river guard says, thumping the ground. "You've done all that and rid the town of Ganon's spies."  
  
"And he found my mirror," a pretty young woman adds.  
  
"The two of you can sleep in my house, boy," Kafei announces. "We'll continue the building in the morning."  
  
….  
  
The children, now that they are allowed to go to her, adore Zelda. She tries to help with the building, but the children are always running underfoot, asking her questions about old Hyrule and Link. Finally, she gives up and sits with them inside the Wise Man's house.  
  
Being a younger sibling, Zelda has never had much of a chance to play with children, but she relishes it now. She is especially enchanted by the little boys and girls picking up sticks and pretending to be Link, vanquishing monsters. She happily pretends to be the Demon King so that they can have someone to attack.  
  
Tired, but happy, she retires with Link once the sun goes down.  
  
"We made real progress," Link remarks. "The new houses should be done in a few days."  
  
"I think I've been adopted by the children of Saria," Zelda says fondly. "They're so sweet."  
  
Link peers at her curiously. "I didn't know you liked children."  
  
"I didn't either."  
  
"They make me anxious," Link admits. "That child from Darunia- you know he wouldn't stop crying, the whole way home. His grandmother said I was a hero for saving him, but I couldn't help but feel like a hero for not harming him along the way."  
  
Zelda laughs. "They're not all so terrible. I promise."  
  
"Well, usually they run around while we're trying to build. They think construction's just another game. You really helped us by keeping them away."  
  
"Well, it was my pleasure."  
  
…  
  
Five days later, the new houses are built, and the children are allowed to explore them freely.  
  
"We should be heading back soon," Link says, wiping his brow.  
  
"I know," Zelda replies. "But, Link?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do you think you could teach me how to fight? Just a little, so I can help you on our way back?"  
  
"You won't be able to move very well in those clothes," Link says skeptically.  
  
Zelda scowls. "I won't trip. Just give me a knife or something."  
  
"I'd rather teach you in trousers but, if you insist."  
  
He gives her a shield as well as a knife, and begins by teaching her how to block attacks from various angles. The shield is heavy and the sun is high overhead, but Zelda stands her ground, ignoring the sweat dripping off her neck. For the first hour, Link is constantly correcting her, but by the second, he has to admit her form is "decent" and moves on to working with the knife.  
  
"Now, since this is a close quarters weapon, one of the elements you're working with is the element of surprise. The enemy doesn't know you've got a knife, and even if he suspects, he doesn't know where you're keeping it…"  
  
He makes her memorize the points of the body where the most damage can be dealt ("assuming we're dealing with humanoids, though the eyes are always good to go for") and shows her how to slash and thrust with the least amount of energy spent.  
  
All in all, it is a grueling lesson, but Zelda is glad for it.  
  
…  
  
Link decides, with some obvious trepidation, to take a different route back to North Castle. This one crosses through the swamp and a cave. They'll also have to stay in Ruto overnight rather than Rauru, which is no great hardship, unless of course the people are "fighting over whose turn it is to keep watch over their trophy".  
  
Zelda frowns. "I thought the Queen had settled that dispute."  
   
"Let's hope she did."  
  
Going through the swamp is slow and frustrating, even without the monsters. Zelda's shoes and the bottom of her dress become caked with mud, much to her dismay.  
  
"I bet you wish you'd worn trousers now," Link says smugly.  
  
"I should hit you," Zelda grumbles, dragging her heavy skirt along.  
  
After what feels like forever, they find ground again.  
  
"I shall never set foot in a swamp again," Zelda declares, much to Link's amusement. "Any other way is preferable."  
  
As soon as they enter the cave, Link murmurs a word and lights the magic candle. "There are probably still a few Aches in here, so watch your head. And get ready to jump down."  
  
Sure enough, a Red Ache descends from the ceiling, headed right for Zelda. She remembers just in time to raise her shield, and the attack bounces harmlessly off her. Link finishes off the monster in a few slashes, and they proceed.  
  
Further into the cave there is a Goriya wielding two boomerangs.  
  
"I thought I'd killed all of you already," Link growls, advancing on it.  
  
"The Demon King will rise again!" it hisses, throwing the first boomerang. Link blocks it with his shield, but the second one catches him in the ankle. Zelda covers her mouth to muffle her cry of distress.  
  
Link leaps forward before the Goriya can throw another boomerang and cleaves it in two. He wipes his brow, then gestures to Zelda. "Let's go. There should just be some Octoroks after this."  
  
Although she refuses to regret having learned the basics of defending herself, Zelda cannot help but cringe at the monster's remains. To think it was once alive, just like them… alive, and willing to kill Link to resurrect a dark master. No, she would not, could not pity it.  
  
The Octoroks spit rocks out, which Link blocks easily with his shield. In the space between their attacks, he darts forward and dispatches them with a single swing. He gestures again for Zelda to follow him, and she does so, feeling a bit silly and wishing she had learned to wield a longer distance weapon.  
  
Still, it is reassuring seeing just how outmatched the former minions of Ganon are against Link's might.  
  
They leave the cave without further incident, and reach Ruto before nightfall. A woman greets Link enthusiastically, and he greets her in return, albeit with some embarrassment at her enthusiasm.  
  
"I take it this is one of the women who lent you shelter on your quest?" Zelda says dryly.  
  
Link turns red, which she takes as affirmation.  
  
There seems to be no quarrel in Ruto, despite Link's worries, and the rest of the trip passes without event.  
  
Still, this is the happiest Zelda thinks she's ever seen Link.  
  
…  
  
Zelda tells the story of the cave to the Queen when they are alone together. She hopes it will relieve her of some of her worries.  
  
"A Goriya? They're still alive?"  
  
"It was just one- Link says they used to come in pairs," Zelda reassures her. "And Link made quick work of him. I never had to fight at all."  
  
"You shouldn't need to fight," the Queen says stubbornly. "You should stay with me."  
  
"And I will, most of the time. But I like being out among the people, and they like me."  
  
The younger Zelda sighs, and Zelda sees just how young she truly is. "I know I can't have everything. I just… I wish…"  
  
Zelda wraps her arms around the other woman, and holds her tightly as she cries.  
  
….  
  
Time passes, and sometimes Zelda stays at North Castle, and other times she journeys with Link. Sometimes the situations get a little more dangerous, and she uses her knife, and sometimes Link cautions her to stay back while he deals with a particularly vicious enemy.  
  
They tell their story at each new village they visit, and each village is heartened by the tale. Little boys and girls begin to grow up, and learn to fight in earnest.  
  
Sometimes they are in time to see new graves being dug for warriors less proficient than Link.  
  
It is usually on nights like that, or after a battle where Link has been injured, that Zelda crawls into Link's bed. The beds they are offered by villagers are often cramped, hard and unforgiving, but it makes no difference. She kisses his bandages and murmurs reassurances, or else he showers her with kisses and whispers, "We are alive."  
  
Always, when they return to North Castle, the Queen throws a banquet in their honor. Afterwards, the three retire together, and the Queen offers suggestions for how to pass the night. Sleep is rarely one of them.  
  
When Link leaves the castle unaccompanied, Zelda holds the Queen's hand tightly. They do not speak of monsters, or dangers. Instead, Zelda tells her stories about the villagers, and how their numbers are slowly increasing.  
  
Sometimes, they talk about their divergent pasts. Zelda speaks of her brother, when he was good, and her father. Zelda in turn talks about her father and mother, and Impa.  
  
There are still nightmares, but they awake in each others arms, and whisper, "We are safe" until it feels true.  
  
When Link returns, they welcome him with open arms. Sometimes he stays in his own quarters, but increasingly he comes to them, Queen and Princess.  
  
"I should give you a title," muses the Queen, running her fingers through Link's hair. "Something official."  
  
"He doesn't need any title," Zelda says fondly, watching them. "The name Link is the new word for hero in Hyrule."  
  
"I wish you wouldn't say things like that," Link grimaces. "Makes me feel like I have to live up to myself."  
  
"Had enough adventures for one lifetime?"  
  
He laughs. "Never."  
  
The Queen sighs. Zelda leans forward and kisses her on the cheek. "Don't think of him leaving, or my leaving. Think of us here, now, beside you."  
  
The younger woman closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. When she opens her eyes, she is smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> It's probable that neither of the Zeldas in this story are supposed to wear outfits with gloves, but I needed a reason for Zelda I to not have noticed the Triforce on her hand.
> 
> I wrote this story with the help of Hyrule Historia, the original game manual, several walkthroughs (mostly for monster names, because in my playthrough I generally thought of them as "that bastard with the axes" or "that stupid eyeball") and of course, Zelda II itself.


End file.
